The Minnesota Vikings appear to hold most of the cards, or at least the best ones, when it comes to QB Aaron Rodgers and his pending free agency.
Rodgers is in a holding pattern with other interested franchises, namely the Pittsburgh Steelers and New York Giants, as he awaits word from Minnesota on its interest in him.
Michael Silver, Dianna Russini and Alec Lewis of The Athletic reported on Friday, March 15, that Rodgers is looking for around $33-$34 million annually -- essentially what Sam Darnold got from the Seattle Seahawks last week. It is unclear if Rodgers, who turns 42 years old in early December, is willing to ink a one-year contract or is looking for multiple seasons and/or at least some guaranteed money in the second year of any potential deal.
The Athletic reported that the money isn't an issue for the Vikings, noting that the QB's financial ask is "not expected to be a major stumbling block."
However, the impact on second-year signal caller J.J. McCarthy and his long-term prospects with the franchise could be. Rodgers' propensity to invite controversy and drama could also be a concern for the Vikings coaching staff and front office after building one of the healthier team cultures in the NFL over the past three years.
"The general assessment of Rodgers by Minnesota's talent evaluators and coaches is that he remains a highly-skilled passer who can still perform at a high level from the pocket, given the right supporting cast," The Athletic wrote. "Importantly, all parties believe that O'Connell is the decision maker best equipped to know and understand what McCarthy's mindset is, and how the young quarterback might react to Rodgers' presence. ... It's easy to see why O'Connell would wrestle with the decision."
There is an alternative for the Vikings in the form of Joe Flacco, to whom Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk linked Minnesota on Saturday.
"Flacco recently visited the Giants. He's in play, we're told, for jobs with the Steelers, Browns and Vikings," Florio wrote. "He fully intends to take a job this season, somewhere. And he likely won't be expensive; he made $4.5 million last year."
Flacco won a Super Bowl and its MVP honors as a member of the Baltimore Ravens following the 2012 NFL campaign. More recently, he led the Cleveland Browns to the playoffs two seasons ago. He will play in 2025 at 40 years old.
Related: Top Vikings QB Target Chooses Chiefs as Rodgers Rumors Linger
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This story was originally published March 15, 2025 at 4:37 PM.